Rejection
by anonymousfriend27
Summary: Ladybug realises that its time for them to reveal their identities to each other, but when confronted with Adrien’s identity, finds herself unable to react wih the same enthusiasm. A distraught Adrien, thinks that Marinette wishes he wasn’t Chat Noir, and is in danger of becoming akumatised.
1. Transformation

**Hey there! This is my first fan fiction, although I hope to write lots more in the future. I was introduced to Miraculous Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir not long ago, and I instantly fell in love. One aspect that always annoyed me (in the sense that I wished it would just happen already) was the whole big identity reveal. I mean, just get it over with already. Anyway, this is my interpretation.**

**Obviously I don't own any characters or anything- I mean, I thought that was a given but apparently not.**

**—**

Chat Noir sighed in content- he'd been waiting for this day for a long time.

It had been the usual afternoon, Hawkmoth had sent an akuma (another one of Chloe's victims), but it had been a simple fight, and was over quickly.

Ladybug seemed happier than usual, but Chat Noir avoided the subject, knowing that if he asked, her mood would be ruined. He was generally safe, as long as he stuck to vague questions, akumas, and cat puns- although lately, Ladybug has developed a habit of slapping him whenever he made one. Not so safe, he thought. Either way, he was satisfied to just be near her a moment longer.

After the battle, Chat Noir and Ladybug has found themselves on the roof of a building, overlooking the Seine. "Good job today, M'Lady," He said cheerfully. She smiled, shaking her head at the pet name. Chat Noir sat on the edge of the roof, legs dangling over the side. His miraculous beeped, and he glanced down at his hand with a frown. He'd been forced to use his Cataclysm to destroy the akuma. He ignored it. "Want to sit?" He asked Ladybug hopefully, motioning to the space beside him.

When she shook her head he wasn't surprised, but no matter how many times he got rejected, he was still disappointed. He turned back to the view, expecting her to swing away, but instead she sat down beside him. "Change of heart?" He asked, grinning. His heart was flying. "I've got a few minutes left," she answered, shrugging. Chat Noir felt it was something else that had made her stay that night; there'd been fights were neither of them had used any special powers, and she'd never chosen to stay before. "I'm just too meow-vellous to deny," he said dismissively, "I'm just pawsome."  
"That's too pathetic to even warrant punishment," she told him, laughing, "But you're right- and don't let this get to your head- but you are pretty awesome."

Chat Noir basked in the complement, feeling warmth flood his body. "You're not bad yourself," He told her. She let her head fall onto his shoulder, and Chat Noir stifled a purr, not wanting to startle her. He guessed her reaction wouldn't be the best.

Both of their miraculouses beeped at the same time, and he noticed that hers was on its last spot. He jumped away from her, ready to run if he had to. "You're about to detransform! I'll go, you stay-" She held up a hand to stop his panic. It did nothing to calm his racing heart. Ladybug didn't look upset at all, she just stood up to face him, smiling. Chat Noir could see the conflict in her eyes. "It's okay, kitty," she told him, "I've been thinking about this a lot."

Chat Noir stopped breathing. Thinking about- "Thinking about what?" He asked, confused. She looked away, "You trust me, don't you?" She paused, before adding, "It's okay if you don't." Chat Noir caught her eye, making her look at him so she'd know he wasn't lying. "I trust you with my life. I always have." He told her, still puzzled. Surprise, then determination filled her eyes, "Then in a minute I'm going to detransform. I'll reveal my identity."

Chat Noir couldn't move. She was going to reveal her identity. To him. He tried to get words out, but his mouth was suddenly bone dry. He was going to find out who the girl he loved was.

"Tikki-"  
"Wait!" He said, suddenly able to move, "Are you sure you want to do this? Keeping our identities secret has always been so important to you," He realised it had been anxiety for her wellbeing that had shaken him from his stupor. He would have done anything to protect her, even denied the chance to see the girl beneath the mask. "And it is," she said, and Chat Noir thought she'd changed her mind. "But not from you. This is a secret we can share," Chat Noir felt gratitude fill him up- she trusted him, even though it was dangerous. Chat Noir didn't think anyone had even trusted him like that. Tears threatened to overflow in his eyes, so he just nodded. Ladybug looked concerned for a moment, "We don't have to do this-" He stopped her, "No, it's not that. It's just that I don't think anyone has ever believed in me like that before." She didn't respond, but her expression revealed it all.

"Tikki, spots off," Ladybug said. A second later, Chat Noir said, "Plagg, claws in."

Adrien almost laughed, but not from mocking, from surprise. "Marinette?" He asked. She looked just as shocked, and began to blush furiously, "Adrien?"

"I have to admit, I wasn't expecting to see someone I knew," he said. Marinette didn't meet his eyes, adopting the awkward demeanour she seemed to always have around him. "I- I didn't think it was going to be you either," she said quietly. Marinette's kwami flew near her ear whispering something to her, that looked like encouragement. In his shock had warn off enough for his thoughts to come rushing back. He loved Ladybug, and Ladybug was Marinette, which meant he loved Marinette. He'd never thought of Marinette like that before, at least he'd never allowed himself to think like that. He'd always felt guilty when he felt anything other than friendship for Marinette, but there had been times when Adrien could admit he'd felt something for her. "Hey Adrien, hey Marinette. I'm hungry," Plagg said, floating in front of his face, and distracting him from Marinette for a second. Adrien fished in his pocket for the piece of Camembert he'd put there earlier. "Here. And why don't you go make some friends?" He suggested, motioning to Marinette's kwami.

Plagg laughed, "Tikki? Me and her go way back." He turned to Tikki, "You want some cheese?" The tiny, red kwami looked up from Marinette, only to scowl at Plagg. "You know I hate Camembert, Plagg." She said, coming closer, "It's probably your constant consumption of the foul stuff. Come over here, and we'll share a cookie," Plagg complied, muttering something about sticking to cheese, and the two kwamis floated to the side to eat.

"I can't believe you're Chat Noir," Marinette said, making Adrien look away from the kwamis. "Of all the people, it had to be you," Adrien was slightly hurt, not understanding her tone, "Is there something wrong with me?"

"No, of course not!" She said, her words coming in a rush, "I just-" She glanced at her kwami, who smiled at her. A look passed between them that Adrien couldn't decipher. "I just was surprised, that's all," Tikki stared daggers at her, face palming. Plagg gave him a withering look that made him think he was missing something obvious. "You are blind, kid," Plagg turned him, finishing his cheese, "Absolutely blind." Tikki shook her head, chastising him quietly.

"Well, I have to go," He said, smiling at Marinette, who was staring at him. He frowned, confused by what he saw. He could tell that she was fighting something; he wondered whether now she knew who he was, she was disappointed. Adrien didn't know what he had expected when they found out each other's identities; but this had been very anticlimactic. Marinette has barely said a word since their transformations, and she looked so uncertain now. Did she regret it?

"Bye, Marinette," He said, Plagg coming towards him, "Plagg, claws out." He extended him baton, pushing himself to the next rooftop, and then the next. By the time he was home, Adrien had managed to convince himself that Marinette had wanted Chat Noir to be someone else. He detransformed in an alley way, and didn't stop to talk to Plagg, who had to try to catch up.

"Woah, wait Adrien." Plagg floated in front of Adrien's face, but Adrien stepped around him. Plagg flew in his way again. "What, Plagg?" He asked, not looking at his kwami. Wasn't he good enough? He thought that he and Marinette were friends. Even if she never loved him back, Adrien knew that he would have loved whoever was under the mask. Apparently, he wasn't even good enough to be Marinette's friend anymore. "Adrien, that's not why she acted like that!" Plagg said, "Anyone else would have seen it already, and you would have to, if u were just a little more perceptive. Please, you have to stop thinking like that, or you'll get akumatised," For a moment, Adrien managed to control himself, the fear of akumatisation outweighing his self-loathing.

It wasn't long before it overcame him again. "Then why, Plagg?" Adrien asked, instantly feeling guilty when he saw his kwami's dismay. "I can't tell you that," Plagg told him, and Adrien could see that he regretted his words as he said them, "Only Marinette can tell you that. Tikki would flay me."

Adrien ignored Plagg's attempt at a joke, walking towards his house. His emotions still swirled within him, and he knew it was dangerous, but he could barely hold back his tears as it was, never mind get rid of them all together. He went through the front door, not answering Natalie's greeting, going straight to his room.

He collapsed on his bed, staring at the ceiling. "Adrien," a voice said, someone coming into his room, "Are you okay?" He couldn't bring himself to look at the speaker, feeling completely empty, and too full all at once. What was wrong with him? Why didn't Marinette want him?

The speaker sat at the foot of his bed. "Talk to me, Adrien." He recognised the voice at once. Natalie. He sat up, looking at his hands, "I can't." She looked at him sadly, and hesitated for a moment. Adrien wondered what she was thinking about. She moved closer to him, pulling him into her arms. The hug was so unexpected that Adrien stiffened for a moment, but let her hold him. The show of affection was so different from Natalie's usual emotionlessness, that he didn't know how to react. He'd couldn't remember the last time someone had held him like that.

All at once, his emotions seemed to well up, and he sobbed, hardly able to breathe. This rejection was worse than any before. And the more he cried, the less hope Adrien had. Natalie said nothing, not asking him any more questions, or for an explanation. Once he had nothing left to cry, he felt his head droop, exhaustion taking over. Only just awake, Adrien felt Natalie ease him out of her arms and into his bed. "Goodnight, Adrien," she whispered, spreading a blanket over him.

When she was gone, Plagg curled up near his face. Adrien got the impression that Plagg thought he was sleeping. He looked deep in thought, "Please, if there is a god, protect him. Give her courage." Plagg pleaded, he looked to the sky, whispering, "Please."

**—**

**I'm hoping to continue this into at least one more chapter. Please leave reviews as I love getting feedback on how to get better :)**


	2. Realisation

**I was so excited that I decided to keep writing, so here's the next chapter in Rejection. I think that I'll only write one more chapter to finish this story off, but I've still got lots of other ideas I'd love to write about. Thank you to everyone who's already read the first chapter; I really wasn't expecting anyone to read it that quickly, and I'm really grateful that people have.**

**I will admit that I did spend a lot of time just grinning at my wall. It really does make me happy to see that people enjoy my writing. If you do enjoy my style in general, I've also started a story on FictionPress (shameless self-promotion), so feel free to check that out to.**

**Have fun with this one :)**

**—**

Gabriel inhaled sharply, feeling a harsh pressure in his chest. His hand went instinctively to his miraculous, closing it in his fist. Somewhere close, there was a miserable child, rejected by the one he loved.

Seizing the opportunity, he went to his lair, Nooroo floating in front of him. "Please, Master, not this one," he begged, "You'll regret it," The little kwami trembled, obviously afraid. Gabriel ignored him, "Nooroo, dark wings rise." With a squeak, the kwami was absorbed into him. Nooroo always resisted Gabriel's transformation into Hawkmoth- the kwami was defiant, even in his fear.

Hawkmoth could feel the child's pain much more clearly now. The boy was curled into a ball, his emotions causing him physical agony. Hawkmoth thought he recognised the walls, but put the thought out of his mind. He flattened his hand, a pure white butterfly landing there. He admired it for a moment, the curve of it's wings was beautiful to him, and he could imagine the freedom they gave the butterfly.

Hawkmoth placed his other hand over the butterfly, his fingers caging it in. He watched his energy flow into it, a bubbling purple mist. He felt a pinch of sadness as the colour corrupted it. "Go, my little akuma," He said, releasing it, "This child will be easy prey." The akuma flew out of the window, into the night.

"Sir?" A voice behind him asked, "I thought I would tell you that Adrien returned home earlier. He was quite upset, but he's sleeping now." Hawkmoth turned to see Natalie, standing by the entrance to his lair, slightly awkwardly. It still looked wrong to see her there, but he knew that maintaining his double life wouldn't be possible without her.

"He was upset? Why?" He asked, moving towards her. A cloud of butterflies took flight as his footsteps interrupted their rest. Natalie shrugged, "He wouldn't tell me." Before he could ask her anymore, he felt the familiar tug of emotion as the akuma reached the child. "I am Hawkmoth. The girl you loved rejected you, but you can get her back." The boy was silent, though Hawkmoth was confident that the telepathic link was strong. He continued, "Only one thing, in return for my help, you must get the miraculouses of Ladybug and Chat Noir." Again, the boy said nothing, but soon Hawkmoth could tell that the akuma was spreading across his body, changing him into his akumatised form.

Once he'd been transformed the boy sat down on his bed, and stared at the wall. "What are you doing?" Hawkmoth asked him, "Get out there and convince that girl that she must love you!" The boy did nothing, staying still and quiet.

The night passed, the sun rising, and Hawkmoth sat in his lair, sketching. He'd given up on yelling at the akuma a while ago, but he didn't want to give up entirely yet. The boy's emotions were so strong, that Hawkmoth was sure he'd be powerful enough to get the miraculouses. He needed to remain as Hawkmoth to keep the connection, so he'd asked Natalie to cancel his plans for the day.

Suddenly, there was a voice in his head. "I'm going to school now, Hawkmoth." He almost fell out of his chair. No one- no one- had ever been able to do that before. The voice was familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. Confused, he settled back into his chair, and tried to convince himself that this was normal.

—

"What am I going to do, Tikki?" Marinette asked for the hundredth time. She'd been pacing all night, unable to sleep. "Adrien, the boy I've loved for two years, is Chat Noir! Why did it have to be him?" Tikki shook her head, she'd stopped listening hours ago.

"How am I supposed to function around Chat Noir now that he's Adrien?" Marinette asked, "Tikki, are you listening?" The kwami shook her head again, going back to staring at the wall, "As I've said many times already, he's the same person he always was. And you're the same person you always were." Tikki tried to smile, but she was too tired to pretend, "Besides, you do realise that Chat Noir loves Ladybug? That means he loves you,"

Marinette stopped pacing, turning to look at her kwami. "Adrien loves me." Tikki laughed, before apologising, "I'm sorry, Marinette, but it's really hard to be supportive when you look like that." Marinette was frozen, barely comprehending Tikki's words. Adrien loved her. She loved Adrien.

She sighed, "What use is that if I'm too much of a coward to confess my feelings?" It was hopeless. She just couldn't do it. "I know you weren't in the best frame of mind last night, but I don't think Adrien understands. I don't think he even knows that it's you that's the problem and not him," Tikki added, "I've told Plagg not to tell him, but this could be bad for both of you- all these negative emotions are a breeding ground for akumas."

"Adrien's too confident for that, right?" Marinette asked. She hadn't thought about how Adrien must have felt that whole night. She felt very selfish. "I know you see him that way, but from what Plagg said, he's always had a hard time handling Ladybug's rejections." "Oh Tikki, what have I done?" She said, falling backwards into her bed. Her alarm went off and she groaned, she hadn't slept all night, and now she had to go to school.

"Just get through today, Marinette," Tikki comforted her, "But you have to talk to him." Marinette knew that; of course she did, but she already knew that whatever plan she went in with, would end up backfiring in the end.

The morning passed Marinette in a blur. She didn't remember anything, and had accidentally ignored Alya multiple times. "What is going on with you today?" She had asked. Marinette has made up some excuse about staying up late designing, but she could tell that Alya hadn't believed her.

When class ended for lunch, Marinette took a deep breathe and walked towards Adrien. He stopped, turning to face her before she had even said his name. "Marinette," He said in greeting, his voice cold. He sounded nothing like the Adrien she knew. "Adrien, I have to talk to you," she began, but Adrien stopped her. "I'm not Adrien," he said. His eyes flashed, the green being replaced by purple for just a second.

It was long enough for Marinette to understand; she took a step back.

Adrien has been akumatised.

Tikki has been right about how he felt, and Marinette instantly felt guilty, more guilty than she'd ever felt before. She'd caused akuma attacks before, but this was different; she'd caused the boy she loved to get akumatised, just because she'd been too afraid to tell him how she felt.

"If you're not Adrien, then who are you?" She asked, pushing away her guilt until a better time. She'd made this happen, and she was going to fix it. "Nobody," he replied. Marinette's heart stopped, and she instantly understood what he meant, and what she'd done. He though she didn't want him to be Chat Noir, he'd asked if something was wrong with him.

Marinette couldn't work out how she hadn't seen it before. He'd questioned their friendship before, when Manon had become Puppeteer for the second time, and she'd never really explained it to him. She felt Tikki squirm against her chest, a small comfort. "Are you planning on hurting anybody?" She asked him. Marinette didn't want to fight him, but she would if she had to. "No," Adrien told her, "I'm only interested in your miraculous. But if you don't give it to me, yes, I will start hurting people,"

His voice was so calm, unnaturally so, that it sent a shiver down her spine. This was different from the other akumas. Not only was he Adrien and Chat Noir, but he also hadn't been transformed. Could she fight him? Could she win? This was her partner, someone she'd fought with for years, never mind the fact that she loved him. "I can't give you my miraculous. You know that." She said, matching his tone. She was surprised that her voice was so steady. "Then I guess we're going to fight then," he said, smiling a malicious grin, and he disappeared.

"Tikki, spots on." She said quietly, listening for any noise that would reveal Adrien's position. She'd understood his power immediately; he thought that she'd never seen him as good enough, that she'd never seen him at all, so he was invisible. Her transformation complete, she closed her eyes. The image of Adrien's eyes, changing from green to purple, distracted her for a moment. She ignored the fear.

Something passed her on her left side, a slight wind moving a strand of her hair. She reached out, Adrien running into her hand. He reappeared, eyes bright with fury. He grabbed her arm, twisting it behind her. Marinette struggled out of his grip, pushing him against the wall, her forearm against chest, her spare hand holding his hands still. He pushed against her, but she shoved him hard into the wall, startling him slightly. She needed him to listen to her, she needed to try and help. She had no idea why she thought talking to him would work, when every other akuma had only been the same. Her only reasoning was that this was different; somehow she knew that it was different. Adrien wasn't acting like he was akumatised. It gave her hope. "Adrien, I know you think I didn't want you to be Chat Noir, but that's not true," she said. He wouldn't meet her eyes, and she wasn't sure whether it was really Adrien, or just the akuma looking for a way out. At least he didn't seem to be able to use his miraculous, although Marinette did wonder where his kwami was.

"Please, you have to understand that. It wouldn't have mattered who you were, you're still my best friend." She tried to explain, but Marinette knew that her censored story would mean nothing. She imagined what Tikki would say. She'd tell Marinette to tell him, to do anything to help him. Despite that, she was afraid.

While she was distracted, Adrien ripped his wrists away from her, ducking under her arms. He swept her legs out from under her and she fell to floor, hitting her head against the wall. Adrien crouched before her, but her vision became to fuzzy to see him properly. She blinked furiously, until see could see again, but her head pounded and she could feel side of her face was bruised. "You're so clumsy, Marinette." Adrien said, "You should be more careful."

Her blurred vision returned, but she could still see his hand clearly enough to tell that he was going for her miraculous. Dazed, Marinette reached for him, cupping his cheek with her hand. Adrien froze. "It's true what Plagg says, you really are blind." Marinette knew she was desperate, and that if she didn't tell him now, she never would, "All this time, and you never realised how much I loved you." As soon as she spoke, she saw his expression change. His eyes, which had become completely purple while they were fighting, suddenly returned to normal.

She briefly saw confusion in his there, but she couldn't concentrate enough to understand what had happened until he said her name. "Marinette?" He fell back with a strangled gasp, before touching the side of her face where the bruise was, which was clearly showing through already. She winced, "Adrien? Are you real Adrien?" She tried to sit up, but found that she was too exhausted to move. He didn't answer, "Oh god, what did I do to you?" He asked her instead.

She couldn't reply, her head filling with sand. All she felt was the throb of her head, and then a soft rocking motions, like she was being carried somewhere. At one point, she noticed that she had detransformed, Tikki lying against her chest. The little kwami's breath on her skin was the only thing familiar to her. Everything else was blurred, or black.

"Try to sleep, Marinette." The voice was distant, but it sounded nice in her head. She wished he would keep speaking, but she couldn't get the words out to ask him. Even if she had, she wouldn't have been awake to hear him. Sleep found her.

**—**  
**I always find writing from a female perspective harder for some reason- I have absolutely no idea why- so I hope that wasn't completely terrible. Please leave a review!**


	3. Redemption

**This is the final chapter of Rejection, however I am planning on writing a new story soon. The end of this chapter is a big hint to what comes next, but the new story won't continue from this point in time. I'm also currently writing a new fan fic with my friend Speckleflower so expect that to come soon, and check us both out on FictionPress!**

**—**

Hawkmoth bashed his staff against the floor in frustration. He'd lost contact with the akumatised boy, although he knew that Ladybug hadn't been able to defeat him yet. There'd been no akuma attack so he doubted that she even knew.

He was too stubborn to give up; the boy was so powerful. Hawkmoth knew that all it would take to get the miraculouses would be for the boy to attack. Hawkmoth has no idea what he was doing though; the last thing he had seen or heard from his akuma was an image of the pavement as he walked. Hawkmoth didn't understand how this had happened, he was usually the one in control, but now he wasn't sure that he could recall the akuma, even if he wanted to. All he knew was that this boy, this child, had been in terrible pain- and that had made him strong.

For once, he wished that Nooroo was there to talk to. Normally, his kwami was a just a constant source of fear and panic, but now Hawkmoth knew that he was the only one who could explain this to him.

Not wanted to break the connection between the akuma and himself, Hawkmoth was practically living in his lair. He was exhausted, and Natalie knew that he wouldn't sleep, but she had managed to get him to eat something earlier that day. He knew she was worried about him- he'd never remained as Hawkmoth for this long before, he didn't even know it was possible. His best guess was that while his akuma was active, he would be able to stay as Hawkmoth, although he didn't want to risk even falling asleep, in case he ended up detransforming while he slept.

He didn't want to lose this battle. It felt important, like if he was to win any battle, this would be the one to win. Hawkmoth settled in his chair once again, staring out of the wide, circular window. It had been raining all day, an endless patter. Appropriate weather for the day Ladybug and Chat Noir lose, he thought, smiling to himself, I'll have my miraculouses soon, I'll have my wish- no matter what the price is.

Adrien was still, he could hardly think. The akuma fluttered in a jar on his desk, a constant reminder of what he'd done. He cradled Plagg in his hand- the kwami was shaking; somehow, he had become the akumatised object and that hadn't been a particularly good experience. When he'd overcome the akuma- something he had no idea he could do- he had discovered Plagg inside his jacket, and he hadn't said a word since. Plagg had warned him that this would happen, that he had to get his emotions under control.

Marinette was laying on his bed; he'd got her there fairly quickly, but not before she had passed out. The cut on her head had stopped bleeding on the way, and her kwami had assured him that she would be okay, before falling asleep herself.

"Adrien," Plagg said quietly, still trembling a bit, "I couldn't fight it." Adrien instantly felt guilty, "It's not your fault this happened, and it was my job to fight it, not yours." Plagg didn't reply, floating up to rest against Adrien's chest. He held him there, feeling his kwami's heartbeat, matching his own. They were both afraid.

Marinette groaned, turning onto her side. She sat up, and Adrien looked away, his shame overwhelming. "Adrien?" She asked. "It's me," he answered. Plagg flew up to his shoulder, settling against his neck- Adrien could understand that Plagg felt safer when they were close. "I'm so sorry!" Marinette said suddenly, "I was so caught up in my own emotions, I forgot about yours." Adrien laughed, scowling slightly, "This isn't your fault, Marinette. I did this," His voice was quiet, and Adrien knew that he would never forgive himself.

Marinette got up, a little unsteady, and walked over to him. She put a hand on his shoulder, moving it up to his face. "When I saw it was you, I was so afraid," she said, and Adrien could see sorrow in her eyes. He was sure his own expression reflected hers- he couldn't believe he'd hurt her, akumatised or not. What did she mean, afraid? Of him? Somehow that was worse- he loved her, and she was afraid.

"No, stop doing that," she said, ripping him from his thought. "Doing what?" He asked. "Overthinking it. Don't you remember what I told you, kitty?" She asked him, moving away, "Have you never wondered why I could never talk to you with stuttering?" Of course he had, but he'd never been able to work it out. What had she told him? All this time, you never realised how much I love you...

"I- I thought- you meant what you said?" He asked, eyes wide with shock, "You- you love me?" She said nothing, looking away, and Adrien decided she meant something else. He felt all the feelings from his rejection come flooding back. "Oh Adrien, you really are clueless," Marinette said. He hadn't notice her come to stand beside him. He looked up at her, feeling small, feeling like a child. He shook his head, still confused. "Of course, I love you Adrien!" She exclaimed, "I have for a long time, but I was too much of a coward to tell you."

"So when you saw it was me..." he said, finally understanding. Marinette loved him. "I so angry that I hadn't done it sooner, just told you- civilian you, or Chat Noir- who I was," Marinette said, "And I- I-" she trailed off, noticing him looking. He had barely heard her words, lost in the idea that she loved him. He stood up, pulling her to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him impossibly closer. Adrien could feel her tears wetting the fabric of his t-shirt, and knew she would feel him sobbing. He was so happy... and he'd never felt so loved in his life. It was almost enough to distract him from his guilt.

The moment was interrupted by Plagg cheering and clapping in the background. He moved away, but not enough to lose contact with Marinette. "I'm so proud of you, Adrien. I mean, it took you long enough," Plagg told him, and Adrien knew that his pride was genuine, despite his last comment. Tikki shoved him, "Shush, be quiet, Plagg, let me enjoy this." Marinette laughed in his arms, looking up at him. He couldn't describe what he saw in her expression; her guilt, her love- so messy and yet, to him, perfect.

He closed the space between them, holding her so tight that he could imagine her as part of him. It was something he'd wanted to do for a long time.

Then the door opened.

Natalie walked in to Adrien's room, deciding to enter although he hadn't answered her knock, seeing first the kwamis, then the akuma in the jar, and finally settling on Adrien and Marinette. They were both crying, clinging to each other as if their lives depended on it. She froze, blinking furiously- what was she witnessing? Adrien has been hugging Marinette, but he let go turning towards her. "Natalie- I- we can explain this-"

Natalie closed the door behind her, her maternal instincts kicking in. She had always felt she was more to Adrien than just an assistant- this was one of the moments it showed the most. The kwamis could only mean one thing; Adrien and Marinette were both miraculous holders. And so is Gabriel. She stopped, the thought startling her. What would she tell Gabriel? Nothing. Again the thought surprised her, but she knew it was completely true. She didn't think that Gabriel would hurt Adrien, but she wasn't certain- he was different when he was Hawkmoth. He was ruthless.

"You two are Ladybug and Chat Noir, aren't you?" Natalie asked. Adrien glanced at Marinette, who nodded. "Yes, but how-"  
"The kwamis," She said, before realising that she shouldn't know about them, "I read that book in your father's safe." She added quickly, knowing that the lie was not convincing, and that most of it was in code, so she wouldn't have been able to read it anyway.

She knew Gabriel wasn't a good a person anymore, but she couldn't help but protect him, as well as Adrien, even from each other. On the other side of the door, she heard Gabriel call for her. "Don't worry, I'm not going to tell him." She said slipping back through the door. "I'm here," she said, and Gabriel turned to her with a questioning look. "What were you doing in there?" He asked, motioning to Adrien's room.

"I just wanted to check on him," she told him, lying smoothly this time. Gabriel nodded, "I wanted to tell you that the akuma seems to have disappeared. It was there one second, and then it just disappeared." For a moment Gabriel looked very uncomfortable, reaching for his miraculous. "He's very upset, isn't he?" Gabriel asked. Natalie nodded, and she thought that that was the end of the conversation. But Gabriel stopped as he passed his son's door, "No, it's different. He's upset but he's so... happy." Natalie was surprised, she hadn't realised that his miraculous allowed him to feel other people's positive emotions too.

Gabriel recognised her confusion, "I feel all strong emotion, Natalie- even yours." She blushed, looking at her feet. She knew what he meant. There were moments were Natalie saw him as nothing but her employer, but sometimes, when he showed his kinder side, she saw him differently. She wanted him to see her that way, and now she knew that Gabriel had know the whole time. Shame swamped her.

"Careful, Natalie," He said, voice cold and emotionless, "I don't want to... accidentally akumatise you." He finished his sentence with a vicious smile that made Natalie tremble slightly. He walked away, completely ignoring her fear, but Natalie followed, overcome with anger. "You don't get to do that," she shouted, "I have kept your secret, protected it. I practically raised your son."

Gabriel stepped away from her, taken aback. "I get paid to organise your life, not for that," she told him, making the most of her anger, before he was able to intimidate her again, "Do you know what keeps me here, keeps me working for you?" Gabriel didn't answer, but she could tell he was confused. "I stay here because I care about you, Gabriel. And I care about Adrien. That is the only reason- so if you're going to mock my feelings-" Gabriel put his hand up to stop her.

He put his hand into his pocket, pulling out the peacock miraculous. He looked at it for a moment, before holding it out to her.  
"This is for you."

**—**

**Now I've finished writing, I'm tempted to add a mini chapter, just to conclude Adrien and Marinette's story arc a bit more, but who knows? Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review!**


	4. After

**5 days ago (ish), I posted the first fan fiction I had even written. And hundreds of people have read it. This is beyond anything I ever expected, baring in mind I had near to no expectations. So here's a bonus chapter to say thanks, and also because I'm obsessed and can't help writing.**

**—**

Adrien was more comfortable than he'd ever been before, with Marinette tucked up beside him. They'd settled on his bed, Marinette still feeling somewhat dizzy from her injury. He could barely comprehend what had just happened. Natalie and walked into him room, seen Plagg and Tikki, and she'd just known. And then she'd promised not to tell his father.

Adrien knew that Natalie would keep that promise.

"You love me?" He asked Marinette, still unable to believe it. She looked up at him, and Adrien could see that she understood his fear. Understood him perfectly. That alone had convinced him. "Always," she told him softly, resting her head against his chest. "You love me?" She asked him.

"Before this happened, I'd never wanted anything more than for Ladybug to love me. And then you were her," he began, "And I saw that, although I hadn't noticed, I loved you too. I'd just been blinded by Ladybug." Adrien felt his heart swell, his throat closing from all the emotions.

He didn't feel his tears until Marinette was brushing them away with her fingertips. "Don't cry, everything's okay now." She whispered to him. He wasn't convinced. "How can it be? I hurt you and- and-" He choked back his tears, wishing he could be stronger. Marinette didn't deserve him like this- weak and broken. "The blame for this isn't just yours, Adrien. It's mine too." Marinette told him. She leaned over him so all Adrien could see was her, "Maybe you weren't strong enough to fight the akuma, but I was so scared of admitting my feelings for you, that I forgot about how you felt."

Adrien couldn't believe that she'd blame herself for this. Before he could protest, she continued, "When I did that, I betrayed everything that Ladybug stands for. So if you're not good enough to be Chat Noir, I'm not selfless enough to be Ladybug." He didn't know how to respond to that. Marinette was Ladybug, all she'd done was make a mistake. Adrien knew that he had too, but his mistake was bigger than just that. _Isn't it?_

"I don't think if I had the chance to undo what happened, I would choose to." Marinette said, gazing down at him, "Yes, I got hurt. But I got you too. And that's enough for me." _Enough_. Adrien didn't think anyone had even told him that. That all that he was, all his imperfections, were enough for them. "You're enough, Adrien." She told him firmly, as if she'd read his thoughts.

"I love you." Marinette leant toward him, her lips touching his gently, softly. Adrien could hardly move, his heart was beating so hard. She pulled away, smiling shyly at him, blushing. Adrien couldn't doubt her love for him anymore; her eyes gave him all the courage he needed. He felt a surge of self-confidence, just like he often felt when he transformed into Chat Noir, and pulled her back down to him.

This kiss was different, Adrien no longer frozen by his uncertainty. He poured his love into it, trying his hardest to convey everything he felt in that small touch- his lips against hers. He knew he wouldn't be able to give her that as long as they lived. Marinette was the one to break the kiss, but only to hug him so tightly that he could just barely breathe. He didn't care.

Eventually, Marinette led back down beside him, nestling her head in the crook of his neck. Behind his closed door, he heard Natalie's raised voice. He frowned, wondering who she was shouting at. His eyes widened in shock as he recognised the deep rumble of his father's voice, although Adrien couldn't make out what they were saying.

If his father walked in right now, Adrien was sure he would have a heart attack. He couldn't help but laugh, imagining what his father would look like if he saw them. Marinette gave him a confused smile, "What?" "Can you imagine how my father would react if he saw you here?" Marinette shook her head, "I can see it, but I really don't know how to describe it." All had gone quiet outside his room. The silence was heavy.

"Do you think Natalie finally snapped?" Marinette asked, "She sounds pretty angry." Adrien wouldn't be surprised if she had. "My father isn't exactly the easiest person to work with." Marinette nodded in agreement, clearly content with his answer. Suddenly, Marinette sat straight up, taking out her phone.

"What's wrong?" He asked, already missing her touch. "I have parents," she said gravely, unlocking her phone hurriedly. She pressed the button to call her parents, putting it on speaker so Adrien could hear. It had only rung once when her parents answered. "Marinette? Where are you? Why haven't you come home?" Marinette sighed, looking at him for the answer. He smirked, shrugging.

"I'm fine, mum. I just- umm..." Marinette practically begged him with her eyes. Adrien caved. "Hi, Mrs Cheng. Adrien Agreste here." Adrien could almost see her smile through the phone, "What has my daughter been doing, young man?" Adrien thought for a moment, planning his words carefully. "Mrs Cheng- this is a little embarrassing- but I had a bit of a breakdown. My father's been relentless all week, you see, and Marinette managed to calm me down, and-" "Oh Adrien, are you okay? One day, I'll give that man a piece of my mind, I swear." Mrs Cheng sounded genuinely concerned about him, seeming to instantly forget Marinette's disappearance. "I'm good, thanks to Marinette."

Adrien looked up at her, still surprised to see the love there. He didn't think he'd ever get used to it. "I don't know what I'd do without her." He added, no longer talking to Mrs Cheng. Marinette intertwined her fingers with his, squeezing tight. "Well, as long as she's safe, and you're okay." "I'm great, mom." Marinette said, still looking at Adrien. Mrs Cheng chuckled slightly. "I'm sure you are, Marinette."

She hung up, and Adrien got the impression that she knew exactly what was happening between him and her daughter. He realised that he _wanted_ her to know. He wanted the world to see that Marinette had his heart, and that he had hers.

The next day, Adrien met Marinette outside the bakery, bowing over-dramatically. He earned a soft giggle and that was enough for him. He moved closer to her, putting his arms around her, and kissing her a little longer than he probably should have, standing in the street. Adrien didn't care who was watching anymore- let them talk. He wanted the reporters to see him, he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. _I love Marinette Dupain-Cheng._

They walked to school, hand in hand. When Alya saw them walking together, she seemed to melt into what Adrien could only describe as a squealing puddle of pure glee. "It happened..." She grinned at Marinette. Adrien wondered how long Alya had know that Marinette was in love with him.

When Alya turned to glare at him, he was taken aback. "You- If you even think about hurting her, I will find you, rip-" Marinette put a hand on her shoulder, "Alya, he won't." Marinette glanced up at him, and then back at Alya. She lowered her voice, just enough so that only Alya and Adrien would hear her, "You see that look," she pointed to him, "I doubt he could get away from me, even if he wanted to."

Adrien gasped with fake shock, "Don't tell me you're don't really love me? That you just couldn't deny all this?" He vaguely motioned to himself, and Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. "Well..." She said, placing a small kiss on his cheek. Adrien heard Plagg groan in disgust through his jacket, followed by a tiny hiss from Marinette's purse. Plagg fell silent instantly.

"You two are really cute." Alya said thoughtfully, "But how did this happen? I want all the details!"

**—**  
**That's it for this bonus chapter. It's already longer than it was meant to be. Thanks for all the support!**


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